Drug Dog Zane Sniffs Out Heroin, Cocaine During I-70 Traffic Stops

EAGLE COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) -- Eagle County Sheriff's Office K-9 Zane has a nose for narcotics.

Zane led his handlers to large quantities of heroin and cocaine in separate traffic stops, resulting in at least two arrests of travelers headed east through Colorado's mountains with illicit drugs in tow.

Thursday, authorities pulled over an eastbound vehicle one mile east of the Town of Eagle exit on Interstate 70. The driver and passenger of the car gave permission to have the vehicle searched. Zane gave a positive alert. Thirty pound of heroin were located inside a hidden compartment.

The driver, Anna Cruz-Ramos, 56, and her passenger, Magdalena Ramos, 33, both from Los Angeles, were booked into Eagle County's jail on felony drug charges.

A week earlier and eight miles to the west, outside Gypsum, another eastbound vehicle was pulled over. While the people inside the car refused to cooperate and allow a search, Zane 'hit' on the vehicle while searching its exterior. Police let the driver and passenger go but took possession of the vehicle with a search warrant.

Ten pounds of cocaine were found inside it.

Arrest warrants were issued for the driver and passenger, neither of whom has been identified.

The traffic stops were conducted by the Gore Range Narcotics Interdiction Team. The team consists of law enforcement personnel from the Eagle County Sheriff's Office and the Vail Police Department.

Zane joined the Eagle County force in November 2019.

During a traffic stop last March, Zane pointed to drugs hidden in a minor league baseball player's duffel bag.